St. John the Baptist Anglican Church

St. John the Baptist

Anglican Church is a large brick church, distinguished by its unusual tower and spire, located on a side

street on the west side of the town of Manitou. The municipal designation applies to the building and

its tight urban lot.

St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, from 1904, is an important Manitou landmark,

a vital connection to one of the community's founding faiths, and a notable local example of the

Gothic Revival style. The church's impressive architectural claims start with the distinctive tower

which curves at its apex to support a small and delicate spire. Even the lowly foundation is remarkable,

with no expense spared in the construction of a lovingly crafted fieldstone substructure. The foundation

not only extends from the basic rectangular form upon which a building would normally sit to include

jut-outs that provide structural support for the wall buttresses, but also rises nearly four feet above

grade to present a remarkable contrast with the tall brick walls above. Inside, the traditional Anglican

nave, focused through its length on the altar, is a stirring reminder of the building's spiritual

purpose.

Source: Town of Manitou By-law No. 9/2010, 15 October 2010.

Key

elements that define the site character of St. John the Baptist Anglican Church include:

- its placement

on a typical urban lot, oriented east-west, with the main doors facing east

Key elements that define

the exterior heritage character of the church include:

- the basic rectangular plan of the main building

with a medium-pitched gable roof (with slightly flared eaves) and with a square-planned vestibule and

tower at the front

- the carefully crafted foundation, of cut granite fieldstone, articulated in its

plan to support walls and buttresses, extending approximately one and a half metres above grade, and

opened at regular intervals with small windows

- the buff-coloured brick walls, rising flush from the

foundation walls and enhanced at the various buttresses extensions with capping features

- the fenestration,

with mostly pointed arches, including three sets of paired windows along the side walls (with large limestone

sills), large openings (with louvers) in the upper stage of the tower, and a small paired window high

on the chancel wall

- the composition of the tower, curved at its apex (and outlined along the curves

with metal coping and flashing) to support a delicate spire, itself consisting of a lower lantern section

(with alternating louvered and cloverleaf sections) and capped with a tall and tapering spire

Key elements

that define the interior heritage character of the church include:

- the large open and unobstructed

space, with formal composition focused on the chancel and altar, with pews arranged on either side of

a wide central aisle

- the bright white plaster walls contrasted with the highly decorative wooden ceiling,

with carefully panelled insets and highly articulated beams whose lower extensions reach down onto the

walls, etc.

- the various wooden features and elements, including doors and casings, pews, elaborate

staircase, etc.